A Small Ray of Sunshine

[Georgia]

Story title: A Small Ray of Sunshine

Type of story: S/M Fic - Three part story (three chapters)

Main characters: Nicole and Geoff

BTTB rating: T

Genre: Romance

Spoilers: None at all – not anymore

Warnings: Nope

Summary: Belle has just died, Aden is off the rails – gallivanting around the world and Geoff keeps disappearing for long periods of time. It’s up to Nicole to save him.

This whole story is dedicated to Elainea (Tessalove) because I literally don't know what I would do without her. She cheers up my days, and she's one of my best friends. So, Elainea.. enjoy.

Chapter One: What did we do to deserve this?

Out of everyone in Summer Bay, I would have never guessed that I, Nicole Franklin, would have been the responsible one, the accountable one.

I would never have guessed that one of my friends would be dead, her husband would be grieving on a trip around the world – trying to escape the pain, and I wouldn’t have guessed that the only man I’ve ever loved would keep disappearing, after dropping out of school.

What did we do to deserve this, the pain and the desperation that is pressing down on us, squishing us, restraining us?

I’ve tried to make peace with Belle’s death, but I can’t. I’ve tried to contact Aden, but he hangs up. I’ve tried to speak to Geoff, but I can’t get through to him.

I’m alone. My father is in jail, my mother doesn’t care, and the people I live with are only taking me in as a favour to my father. And Geoff Campbell, the one I always thought I could depend on, is too wrapped up in his grief to comfort me.

He used to be a ray of sunshine, brightening up the bad days. And now, the rain clouds are hovering so prominently in the sky, that I can no longer see the sun.

I can no longer see Geoff, and that’s what scares me the most.

I whip out my cell phone, and call Belle, hanging up at the last minute when I realise that she’s gone and can’t help me. I try Aden, but it goes straight through to message bank. And then, in a move of pure desperation, I try Geoff, and by some strange miracle, he picks up.

“Hello”, his voice is muffled, and I’m not sure if it’s because of how awful my phone is, or because he’s in an enclose space

“Geoff it’s me,” I whisper, then realise that he has called ID. Luckily he doesn’t embarrass me by admitting that. I don’t think he even realised what I

said

“What do you want Nic?” he asked, his voice sounding tired and uneven

“I want you. I need you. You have to come home”

“Nic, I can’t do that”

“Well, can I come to you?” I asked, just needing to be near Geoff, if even for a few minutes. I was expecting a rejection, or maybe an easy let down, so Geoff’s answer surprised me

“I’m at the funeral home Nic. I’ll be here for a while. I’ll wait for you”

“I’ll see you soon Geoff” I whispered, “and thanks”

“What for?”

“For letting me see you” I told him, before hanging up the phone.

I had to find a lift and get to the funeral home. It had been ages since I had properly seen Geoff, and I didn’t want to hold off on the visit, in case he changed his mind.

[Georgia]

Chapter Two: Seeing Geoff

In the end, I managed to hitch a ride from Irene, who happened to be driving past the funeral home on the way to Yabby Creek.

Geoff was sitting on the same steps that Aden had been sitting on, but Geoff wasn’t holding a red balloon. He appeared to be holding his cell phone, as if he was waiting for me to ring up and cancel seeing him

“Hey stranger”, I whispered softly, not wanting to scare him

“I didn’t think you would come”, he replied, his voice not as quiet as mine.

The place seemed to be peaceful and relaxing. There was no sound, and the flowers were pretty. Despite what happened here, there was something beautiful about it.

“I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see you”

“Well, at least there’s one person who still wants to still me”

“Don’t be like that Geoff. Heaps of people want to see you, but you keep disappearing”

“I suppose I’m escaping from my problems then”

“You could come home, and we could escape the problems together”, I whispered, longing filling my voice

“What do you mean?” Geoff had always been naive, so I decided to spell it out for him

“I still love you, and I want you to come home, so we can get through this together”

The silence which had been peaceful a minute before was no overwhelming, and it was threatening to wipe me from existence.

When a few minutes had passed and Geoff still hadn’t said anything, I stood up and brushed some of the soil off of my pants, before walking away.

I had walked about six metres when Geoff grabbed onto my arm and spun me around

“Don’t you walk away from me Nicole Franklin”, he hissed, anger lighting up his eyes

“You didn’t say anything”, I whispered

“I was thinking alright”

“About what?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me and the sadness that had been eating away at me started to evaporate

“You and me. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me you loved me for ages now, and it never happened like this. I had to see if it still felt right”

“Does it?”

Geoff didn’t answer, so I tried to walk away again, forgetting about the grip Geoff had on my wrist.

He spun me around, slightly too hard, and I almost fell to the ground, but his arms caught me.

I had missed his arms, how safe I felt when he held me, how whole I felt when he cradled me. It felt right; this was the best feeling in the world.

I could feel the goose bumps on Geoff’s arms, and the hair on the back of my neck was standing up.

“Does it?” I repeated, my voice no more than a whisper but I could tell that Geoff could hear me

“Yes”, he breathed, his voice caressing my ear. A shiver shot up my spine, and I tilted my head backwards slightly, so that I could see his face.

A small smile was on his face, and his eyes were shut. The look on his face was so carefree, so passionate. It was like Belle had never died, and Aden hadn’t left Summer Bay.

I stood on my tip toes, and pressed my lips lightly against Geoff’s, and that’s when I lost control. Luckily, it wasn’t just me that lost control.

My lips seemed to rule over my brain. A spark shot through my entire body, and I felt alive, for the first time in weeks. Geoff overpowered my senses.

He was everywhere. My eyes were clamped shut, and all I had was my sense of taste, and touch.

It was the perfect kiss, the best one Geoff and I had ever shared. I never wanted it to end, never wanted us to part.

But perfection always has to end.

[Georgia]

Thank you for the reviews. Here is the last part.

Chapter Three: Out of the Past

I opened my eyes, and the memories of Geoff faded. That was the year of 2009, when I was a 17, nearly 18 year old teenager. I had just lost my father, my mother, my “brother”, my best friend, but I had gained Geoff. But now, it’s year 2079, and I’m 88 years old.

My father rotted away in jail, my mother never regained contact with me, my “brother” died in a plane hijack and I still think about Belle Taylor to this day. And Geoff Campbell, the only man I ever loved, exists only in my memory.

We had twenty perfect years, full of pure happiness and joy, and children. But then, when I was thirty eight, with a thirteen and a fifteen year old daughter, Geoff took them on a day trip.

I was sick, lying at home in bed, while Geoff took them back to the farm where he had grown up. I was awoken about four hours later, by a knock on the door.

It was the police.

My husband and two children had died in a car accident. They had been hit by a drunken man driving a truck, and were killed instantly. The only thought running through my head was that my family had died quickly, and they hadn’t felt any pain.

But then, the shock vanished, and the pain replaced it. Why hadn’t I joined them that day? Why had they been taken away from me? Why was

everyone taken away from me?

Life seemed so unfair. I was thirty eight, and I could have spent many more years with my family. My daughters hadn’t even had a chance to live, to go to college, to get married and have children.

And Geoff and I hadn’t retired and travelled the world. We hadn’t witnessed the sun setting over a majestic sight, or took a ride on the London Eye.

I did exactly the same thing that Aden did though, I tried to escape. I was actually on my way to meet up with him, literally on my way to the airport,

when the news hit the radio. Aden’s plane had been hijacked, and smashed into the middle of Washington. There were no survivors.

I turned the car around and drove home. I couldn’t even escape properly.

I should have had my whole life ahead of me, but every date I went on was awful. No one was Geoff; no one offered that same feeling of safety and love.

And now, in the year 2079, on my death bed, I am alone. My children are gone, and the love of my life hasn’t been with me for years.

He was my ray of sunshine, and for one day, I was his. I saved him from despair, and gave him a reason to live.

In return, he gave me everything.

So on my death bed, I am not afraid. I am ready, because the rain clouds will finally move away and I will be able to see the sun again.

After waiting for so many years, I’m ready to see the sun.

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